


Love Is An Open Window

by summersfirstkiss



Category: Frozen (2013), Jack and Elsa, Jelsa - Fandom, Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: F/M, FrozenxROTG Crossover, JackElsa, Jelsa - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-10
Updated: 2014-02-10
Packaged: 2018-01-11 20:01:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1177319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/summersfirstkiss/pseuds/summersfirstkiss
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Elsa hates snow. And ice. And just about everything else to do with the cold. Needless to say, Winter is far from her favourite season. But what happens to Elsa’s jaded perspective when she comes across a certain white haired boy called Jack? And what happens when he finds out why, exactly, she hates Winter so much? Will he be able to melt the ice in her heart, or will she fall into eternal loneliness? A story of how the Prince of Winter captures the heart of the only girl who can see him for who he is—the mortal who hates his guts. AU Modern Day WITH POWERS STILL. Will be an angsty romance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love Is An Open Window

When Elsa woke up, her cold blue eyes parted warily to gaze at the morning sun. The warm orange circle hung low on the city skyline that day, outside her bedroom window. And pouring into her room, the rays of sun highlighted the sparkles of frost in the air, bathing her thin cotton sheets in golden warmth--almost as if beckoning her to wake and offering her the strength to face the long day ahead of her. If only she appreciated waking up every morning. Seeing the sun was only a reminder that she was still alive. And today, more so than any other day of the past four months, Elsa wished she wasn't. No, not in a suicidal way. But in an I-wish-I-could-sleep-my-problems-away kind of way.

Because there wasn't supposed to be a blizzard that day. There wasn't supposed to be snow in the middle of April. So, why? Why, of all days, did there have to be a blizzard on April 6th, 2013?

‘Can I have Jack Frost to blame for it?’ Elsa thought bitterly, recalling all the memories.

It was that day that she was taken away from the mountain top mansion she had lived in all her life and placed into the hands of the foster care system. It was that day that her estranged sister flew 5000 miles to return from one of the top boarding schools in the world to prepare for the funeral.

It was that day-- on her seventeenth birthday-- that her father met his untimely death.

And on that day, Elsa learned to hate the cold. 

Brushing away the tears sliding across the bridge of her nose, Elsa pushed her tired body up from the bed. She was anything but energetic after a restless night of sleep-- even the anxiety medication didn't help ease the pain and discomfort last night.

But maybe it was her fault. If it wasn't her birthday, her father might not have left their mountain estate in the bitter cold, just to buy her a cake. And who was she kidding, blaming a fictional Winter spirit?

But if it weren't for that snow day, her father could’ve avoided an accident. And if it weren't for that stupid blizzard, she wouldn't be here right now, living with strangers, in constant fear of revealing her powers. In constant fear of hurting someone... of hurting Anna. Right now, Anna could be safe, enjoying her life far, far away. Instead she was here, living in this surprisingly large apartment building on the corner of Murray street, waiting to attend her first day of public high school with her estranged sister. Because yes, after their father's death, both Anna and Elsa were forced to move hundreds of miles away to live in the city that never sleeps.

"Good morning, Elsa." Anna’s quiet interjection tore Elsa from her train of thought. Her younger sister stood awkwardly by the door. Elsa didn't move, her back facing Anna.

Clearing her throat, Elsa offered a brief reply. "Good morning."

"May I come in?" Anna asked. Elsa stayed quiet, for fear of her voice betraying her.

"Merida says the chauffeur will be here at 8 'o clock, so you should be ready by then."

No reply.

"Alright, then. I'll... see you downstairs, I guess." And with that, Anna's shoulders fell and she turned to leave, wondering why her sister was still shutting her out. Elsa was the only person she had left, now that both their parents were gone. So why did she still have to push her away? With small sigh, Anna discarded her thoughts and put a smile on her face to greet the redhead already downstairs.

Hearing the footsteps fade away, Elsa let out a tired sigh, wishing she had the courage to tell Anna the truth. Staring out the window, Elsa looked at the city below her. Her life was so different here in New York. And not necessarily a good different, either. It wasn't that she felt ungrateful for Aunt Elinor and her daughter Merida taking them in-- quite the contrary. But here in New York, Elsa had no clue how she was supposed to keep everyone safe from her powers… from the curse. There were so many people everywhere. Isolation had always been the answer, but how could she achieve isolation here?

Still, Aunt Elinor was their mother's best friend in college, and she was the only person left with any trustworthy form of relation to their family who could take care of Elsa and her sister. A single mom and lawyer extraordinaire, Elinor was a capable women with a kind heart and the amazing lifestyle to prove it. Living with her would admittedly be the best option for them until Elsa turned 18 and could take her share of the inheritance money. At least, that's what Elsa told herself to ease the guilt of putting their all lives at risk. She hurt Anna once, badly. She didn’t need to hurt anyone ever again.

Sighing, Elsa approached her large walk in closet and stared at the clothes Merida had assembled for her the night before. With no exposure to the outside world, Elsa didn't really own any clothes that were current with today's youth. Needless to say, she was very thankful for Elinor's kindness, insisting on buying her and Anna some new clothes. All Elsa's ever worn her whole life were dresses, since that was the only thing her father gave her (which, for some reason, Elinor found really upsetting). But she couldn't wear those types of dresses to a public school in New York because, according to Merida and her sister, they were too 'outdated and frilly'. 

Looking down on the old Scandinavian-styled dress she was wearing, Elsa brought a hand to touch the soft cotton fabric. She wondered what exactly was so wrong with her wearing her old dresses in public. Sure, they looked a bit out of place amidst the highly modernized city she now lived in... but they reminded her of home. Now, Elsa only ever wore those dresses to sleep. 

With a another small sigh, Elsa lifted her hand from the fabric of the dress to pick up the black pants Merida laid out for her on the white chaise lounge inside her closet. They were called leggings, if Elsa remembered correctly. Picking up the rest of the clothes, Elsa dressed herself with as much care as she could muster in the wake of her heavy exhaustion. But in no mood to fix her hair, she left it in a simple side braid before proceeding to the ensuite bathroom.

After washing up, she pulled out a powder blue cardigan and shrugged into the sleeves before quickly slipping on her gloves. Then, Elsa made her way down the freshly lacquered steps of Aunt Elinor's upscale apartment.

‘Conceal. Don't feel. Don't let it show.’ She repeated this mantra in her head as she reached the open concept kitchen.

"Good morning, dear." Aunt Elinor offered a smile and Elsa couldn't help but smile back at her caretaker.

"Good morning."

"Hey, Elsa, g'mornin'." Merida piped. She took a hurried swig of orange juice into her mouth already filled with toast. Elsa smiled and nodded her head politely at the redhead, but almost laughed at the stern glare Elinor gave Merida for her lack of manners.

"Merida! Please learn some etiquette. You don't see Elsa eating like that do you?" 

Merida rolled her eyes with a smile and pecked her mother's cheek with a hasty 'goodbye'. After that, the three girls filed out of the apartment and down through the lobby to meet the chauffeur.

That was another thing Elsa wasn't used to-- being in cars. And fancy black limousines, at that. On their way, Merida advised them some tips on how to handle their first day of public high school. Anna listened with enthusiasm, nodding her head and laughing at Merida's elaborate hand gestures. Elsa feigned interest, simply praying that she would blend in like a wallflower.

"Elsa? You alright?"

Merida’s inquiry snapped the pale blonde out of her thoughts. Elsa managed a flustered reply. "Oh, yes. Yes I'm fine."

"Well, you kinda have to get off now." Merida said with a sheepish smile. She leaned against the limousine door and gestured for Elsa to step out. "We're at school." 

Elsa's eyes widened and she nodded. "Oh, right. I'm sorry."

After quickly apologizing, Elsa stepped out and Merida waved goodbye to Mr. MacGuffin, the quiet chauffeur. He was a man of little words, Elsa supposed. Not that she minded.

(Southern Isles Secondary School)

Elsa's smile vanished when she saw how many people were on the campus. There had to be hundreds of students here. Literally… maybe even thousands, Elsa deduced, after sizing up the massive scale of the school. The porcelain skinned blonde swallowed and froze in her steps, feet suddenly anchored to the cement.

"Elsa, what's wrong?" Anna asked, noticing the fearful expression on her sister's face.

"Hey, yeah, what's the matter?" Merida asked. Brushing a stray lock of scarlet hair out of her eyes, the redhead gave Elsa a concerned smile.

"T-there's so many people." Elsa mumbled. Even after living in TriBeCa for the past four months, Elsa's always managed to avoid the outdoors one way or another.

"What?" Merida smiled, confused. "I know you've been home schooled all your life, Elsa, but-"

Elsa shook her head.

"No. No, no I really don't think I need to go to school today, I-" Elsa quickly turned to run in the opposite direction. There was no way she'd survive a day in that human jungle.

"Elsa? Hey wait a minute!" Merida and Anna quickly ran to block Elsa's way, refusing to let her run.

After much struggle, and many looks of what-the-heck from the other students, Merida and Anna finally managed to drag Elsa into the school building and into the main office. Thanks to Elsa, they were all late and all the other students had already filed into their homerooms. After a hasty scolding from the school secretary, the girls were given their schedules and assigned lockers. Then, proceeding to their homerooms with nervous excitement, Elsa was the first to realize that she-- rather unfortunately-- didn't share a homeroom with either Anna or Merida.

‘Conceal it. Don't feel it. Don't let it show. Conceal it. Don't feel it. Don't let it show.’ She was visibly nervous, but managed to regain her self-composure after a hesitant nod of determination. She swallowed. This was definitely going to be a long day. But she had to at least try. It's what her father would have wanted... right?

"Okay, okay." Elsa said, more to reassure herself than the others. "Okay. I-I can do this."

"Of course you can, Elsa." Anna offered, giving Elsa a hesitant pat on the shoulder. "I know you can."

With that, Elsa squared her shoulders and walked with regal composure to her homeroom class of 12A. As she reached the door, she slowly took in a deep breath and quietly turned the brass knob. To her surprise, the whole room gasped as she stepped in. Frowning, she turned around to see if there was someone else behind her.

There was no one.

‘Maybe it's because I'm late,’ She thought with worry.

"I'm so sorry I'm late." She said, her anxious eyes meeting those of a man who appeared to be the teacher.

The stocky old man-- who much resembled Santa Claus, she noticed-- gave a hearty laugh and ushered her into the classroom. Nodding apologetically, she noticed a vacant spot in the front row beside a few awkward looking students and hastily took a seat. Composing herself upright, like she was always taught to do, she sat with perfect posture before glancing back to the old man at the front of the room.

"And what might your name be, Miss?" 

Elsa noticed his heavy Russian accent as he picked up his attendance board and grabbed a pencil, which looked dangerously breakable in his massive hands, she noted.

"Elsa, sir." She replied calmly. Elsa was surprised at how steady her voice was.

"Ah, Elsa Arendelle." He muttered, squinting closer to the attendance board with a smile. His smile fell as he continued to read something which appeared to beside her name, and he nodded his head with a frown. "Hm. Alright, well, my name is North and I will be your homeroom teacher for the rest of the year. You, along with these fine students, will be reporting to my class-- on time-- each morning before class until the last day of school. And in this case, until your graduation. Welcome to the Southern Isles, Ms. Arendelle."

"Please, call me Elsa." Elsa nodded politely. The man paused and stared at her with what looked like pity, but he nodded his head away from her gaze before she could decide if she was just imagining that look in his eyes.

"Everyone, Elsa is a new student here at Southern Isles and I expect you all to give her a warm welcome. In fact, if someone could volunteer to be her guide for the day-" Before he could finish his sentence, ten hands shot up in the room. Turning her head slowly, Elsa met the disquieting grins on ten different guys. They smiled as though they were sharks, and she was a piece of meat tossed fresh into the ocean. Frantically turning back to North, Elsa protested.

"No, sir, I think I'll be fine. I have another guide already, she's just not in this homeroom." North stroked his long white beard and nodded as if he were mulling over an important move in chess.

"Alright then." He said. "Thank you, gentlemen." Elsa slouched in her seat a little from embarrassment. She could feel all the stares burning into her body and it was starting to make her uncomfortable. So uncomfortable that she could feel the ice spurting from her veins, slowly crawling towards her fingertips. Closing her eyes in concentration, she took in deep breath.

‘Conceal. Don't feel. Don't let it show.’

For the rest of homeroom, North gave an introductory lecture to the students-- most of them looking half-dead. And when all was said and done, it was time for first period. Picking up her bag, Elsa left the classroom in a rush. But she was halted by a hand grabbing onto her arm. Shocked by the contact, Elsa jumped back and turned around.

"Hey, you alright?" The boy asked, a look of concern on his face. Elsa swallowed. He was a tall boy with dark eyes and even darker hair. With a crisp white smile and a strong jawline, he did fulfill the quotas for typically handsome men. But something wasn't right about him.

Something was off.

"I-I'm fine, thank you." Making an attempt to turn away, the boy blocked Elsa's path with another smile.

"Hey, hey what's the matter, gorgeous? Slow down, I'm just trying to be your friend."

"No, thank you." Elsa replied seriously, making yet another futile attempt to walk away.

"Oh, I see, you like playing hard to get." The boy said, feigning a look of understanding. Elsa gritted her teeth as her blood began to boil and she could feel the ice spreading to her fingertips faster now than before. "That's fine, because I like a good challenge. No one likes a girl who's easy, right?" He asked darkly, leaning down closer to her. Elsa took an instant step back, turning and running for the side entrance of the school, quickly pushing open the doors.

Forget class, she needed to leave. Staying and dealing with whoever that guy was would be impossible to do without exposing her powers.

"Hey! Hey! Where do you think you're going?" The boy called after her.

‘Stop following me!’ She mentally cried. Elsa began running across the parking lot, when all of a sudden his footsteps caught up to her and he grabbed her arm.

"Hey now, babe, why you gotta be like this?"

"Ow! Leave me alone!" Elsa exclaimed. She tried to free her arm from his unforgiving grip. Somehow he'd managed to drag her against a wall, leaving her no clue how as to how to escape from her predicament. "I said let go!"

"C'mon, I just want to be friends." He said, leaning into her ear with a sinister grin. "My name's Gaston-" But she couldn't contain it any longer.

"N-no, I said enough!" The powers bursting through her fingertips, ice shaped around Elsa's fist and she sent a powerful punch across the boy's face. Before she could even register what she'd done, Gaston flew back from her impact like a stumbling mess. He winced in considerable pain. Not only did an instantaneous bruise form on his face, but half of his face grew dark from the frostbite that had formed during her hit as well. Elsa looked from her now-torn gloves to the wretched expression on his face. She was absolutely mortified.

‘W...what have I done?’

Doing the only thing she could think of in that moment, she ran.

"What the hell, you stupid bitch!" His voice followed after her, but it quickly faded as she ran. Faster and faster and faster. Until finally, after what felt like hours of cold sweat and confused faces and bumping into strangers, she collapsed beside a darkened alleyway next to an old abandoned building. Somewhere.

Elsa fell to her knees, struggling to breathe and taking in quick, shallow breaths. Soaking her cheeks, she swallowed the salty wetness with the realization that she'd been crying this whole entire time. She felt so stupid. Why did she hit that boy?

Why?

‘What will happen to Anna?’

‘What will happen to me?’

‘Where am I?’

Elsa's body trembled from the anxiety and fear as the endless questions tormented her head. But too soon, she felt the pain in her chest. And too soon, she found it difficult to breath. As the world around her grew dark, she fell into blackness, lying at the foot of that deserted alley. Within moments, a dark snowstorm began to spread throughout the sky above her.

Little did she know, lying unconscious on the ground, that such bizarre weather on a September afternoon would attract the attention of a certain Winter spirit named Jack Frost.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, whoever's reading this! Thanks for reading up to this point. Hope you enjoyed the story so far! I know this first chapter was a little bit slow-- but I'm hoping to pick up the pace now, after developing a relatively believable back drop for the rest of the story. 
> 
> Elsa is arguably my favourite female Disney protagonist of all time, but she's also the most difficult to properly convey. So if you guys have any tips or suggestions, please don't hesitate to let me know! My friend introduced me to Archive of Our Own and she said the writers here are typically a lot better than those of Fanfiction (though I'm not making any judgements yet) so I'm hoping to get some good advice! ^_^ I'm not a very good writer, and some of the work on this archive really puts me to shame, but I hope I will improve as time goes by.
> 
> And note, this isn't going to be a story where the main guy fixes the main girl with his love. This love story will be anything but cliche-- I promise! And who knows, maybe she'll fix herself. If she even needs fixing. 
> 
> Oh! And yes, Elsa is having a panic attack. I know, I know, but don't hate me! Hate Gaston! This story's characters will likely all be from Disney. Again, thanks for stopping by and please leave a comment, I'd love to hear your thoughts!


End file.
